2018 F1 Season

[Preds Partisan]

Sky Sports reporting Azerbaijan is NOT being replaced.

Nobody knows.

 

[SoupyFIN]

Azerbaijan while good with surprises during the race and for the people watching at home, hasn't been good for the actual spectators that are watching it live. I mean look at the podium celebrations from this past Sunday, there was maybe 50 people that made it to the grid straight. On most tracks the whole length of the grid (track side) is filled with people.

Obviously the organizer is never going to make back the money they paid to host the race and this goes for all the tracks, but the amount they're on the minus side must be worse for Azerbaijan compared to most other races. Lack of spectators was the reason why Turkey wanted out too.

 

[Preds Partisan]

Liberty Media has already said they don't really want F1 to be in Azerbaijan, but that reported $50 million fee is huge. I've read Azerbaijan organizers have until this summer to renegotiate a new contract extension, otherwise it's two more years and out for sure.

Typical Bernie deal: good financially for F1, bad for the locals financially in a place that nobody would ever race in were it not for all that money.

As far as interest in the race, I looked up the rates for the Hilton and Marriott hotels located adjacent to the paddock with views of everything and you could book rooms for $140-150 USD a night during race week. That's dirt cheap. It's almost like the race is a non event in Baku.

 

[Preds Partisan]

Story in link. It goes across a high bridge with no spectators, limited recovery space and generally looks awful. I know exactly where this is and have no idea how this would work. You can look up American Airlines Arena in Miami for a Google map.

 

[Albatros]

Looks like the worst F1 track since Phoenix, which ironically took place outside the America West Arena.

 

[SoupyFIN]

Surely that can't be the whole track, right? Probably below 1 minute laps on that layout.

Also looking at the street view pictures of the bridge, it doesn't look wide enough to fit two cars side by side, unless your name is Verstappen or Magnussen of course. And we know how likely overtaking on a street circuit outside of the long straights is.. just a really bad proposal all around.

 

[Preds Partisan]

Surely that can't be the whole track, right? Probably below 1 minute laps on that layout.

Also looking at the street view pictures of the bridge, it doesn't look wide enough to fit two cars side by side, unless your name is Verstappen or Magnussen of course. And we know how likely overtaking on a street circuit outside of the long straights is.. just a really bad proposal all around.

Miami could be a great destination, but yeah, this course is awful. The bridge is a cluster. Imagine 200 MPH across a windy narrow bridge and a barge based crane trying to lift a disabled car off that bridge. I have seen very few positive comments about the layout.

You and I could spend ten minutes with Google Maps and come out with a better course.

 

[Siamese Dream]

They can't be serious, that looks like a crappy Formula E circuit

 

[Paris in Flames]

Kubica in and Sirotkin out for FP1.

 

[Preds Partisan]

City of Miami unanimously approved plan for a race. Looks more likely than not at this point.

 

[Siamese Dream]

Just watched the practice highlights on YouTube

Magnussen up to his old tricks again, defending against Leclerc on the straight, in free practice

 

[SoupyFIN]

Hopefully the F2 races are better this year, from what I remember it was very current F1 era esque last year in Spain.

First weekend for GP3 as well.

 

[TootooTrain]

Grosjean crashes again causing chaos. Colour me shocked lol.

 

[Paris in Flames]

I know there was first lap chaos but I'm very impressed with Stroll picking up spots on the first lap again.

The amount of 1st lap spots gained he has this season is pretty solid (though it's easier to do when you start 19th). Stuff like that gives me fleeting thoughts he might have actual potential

 

[Siamese Dream]

Yawn

 

[Albatros]

A truly horrible race, feel pity for the guy that has to edit a highlight reel of that broadcast.

 

[QnebO]

Swedens Ericson again guilty for Grosjean crash

Nice donuts though, you dont many time see some one doing donuts full throttle at 200km/h, too bad it was middle of the race start.

This track is just bad for modern F1 car. No one couldnt even try overtake in top teams. Impossible to follow close, only one chance to overtake really but even that isnt good enough on F1 cars.

 

[SoupyFIN]

I said this last year (not sure about the year before that) but I'll say it again, bring back the old layout without the last chicane. It's virtually impossible to follow a car through that chicane (+ the corner before the chicane), without even mentioning how the car ahead can save all of his energy for the main straight. So you eliminate the only overtaking spot on the entire track because of those two things, brilliant work.

Mercedes & Ferrari really screwed their drivers with bad pit stops, it didn't end up costing Bottas, but Vettel was probably fuming after the race. More points thrown away to Hamilton, which Vettel can't afford to do. Grosjean is quickly driving himself out of F1, he's getting up there in age and the performances aren't there for a top10 car. Leclerc is starting to impress more & more every race, maybe he's ready for Ferrari next year after all.

Fun fact of the day, I'm 99% sure Sirotkin had a similar spin post VSC in GP2/F2, I don't remember what race it was though. He had full throttle on and didn't realise the VSC was ending, then he just lost it when the power came back lol.

I know there was first lap chaos but I'm very impressed with Stroll picking up spots on the first lap again.

The amount of 1st lap spots gained he has this season is pretty solid (though it's easier to do when you start 19th). Stuff like that gives me fleeting thoughts he might have actual potential

Tbh I wouldn't look into it too much, you're more likely to gain places in the mid-pack where most of the action is happening. At the same time you're also more likely to crash out in lap 1.

+ Williams has decent straight line speed and the run to turn 1 in Spain is long.

 

[Paris in Flames]

I said this last year (not sure about the year before that) but I'll say it again, bring back the old layout without the last chicane. It's virtually impossible to follow a car through that chicane (+ the corner before the chicane), without even mentioning how the car ahead can save all of his energy for the main straight. So you eliminate the only overtaking spot on the entire track because of those two things, brilliant work.

Mercedes & Ferrari really screwed their drivers with bad pit stops, it didn't end up costing Bottas, but Vettel was probably fuming after the race. More points thrown away to Hamilton, which Vettel can't afford to do. Grosjean is quickly driving himself out of F1, he's getting up there in age and the performances aren't there for a top10 car. Leclerc is starting to impress more & more every race, maybe he's ready for Ferrari next year after all.

Fun fact of the day, I'm 99% sure Sirotkin had a similar spin post VSC in GP2/F2, I don't remember what race it was though. He had full throttle on and didn't realise the VSC was ending, then he just lost it when the power came back lol.

Tbh I wouldn't look into it too much, you're more likely to gain places in the mid-pack where most of the action is happening. At the same time you're also more likely to crash out in lap 1.

+ Williams has decent straight line speed and the run to turn 1 in Spain is long.

Yeah as I noted his starting position will inevitably help him but it's not just a one time thing. He had 38 first lap overtakes last year. Likely around 15 already this season. It's a thing. I'm not saying he's gonna win a boatload of races but it's not an unencouraging sign.

 

[SoupyFIN]

Yeah as I noted his starting position will inevitably help him but it's not just a one time thing. He had 38 first lap overtakes last year. Likely around 15 already this season. It's a thing. I'm not saying he's gonna win a boatload of races but it's not an unencouraging sign.

I just think that the finishing position is a better indicator of success and IIRC there was two or three races last year (Canada & Italy for sure, Mexico was the 3rd race maybe?) where he actually legit beat some of the usual top10 finishing drivers to get points, otherwise Stroll got really lucky with retirements (see: the carnage in Baku). Over 20 races that just isn't enough when you consider in that Massa who had his other foot out the F1 door already managed to get points in thirteen races (worth noting that he also drove one less race, missing Hungary with illness) & came 11th twice, compared to the seven races where Stroll got points & three times 11th. Williams was good enough last year to finish in the top8-12 on a regular basis, which Massa managed to do.

It's also hard not to look at what Leclerc is doing with Sauber this year and compare it to Stroll's last year, who arguably had a better car and never really managed to push it to the limit (or well he tried, but ended up hitting a wall or stuck in gravel) like Leclerc has so far. The talent level difference between those two is obvious and if Leclerc keeps this up, I could see him being a candidate for that Ferrari seat if Kimi retires. Before the season started I thought one season wouldn't be enough as he's so young, but tough to ignore the results so far. He seems to be pretty mature for his age as well (cough cough, Verstappen).

 

[Based Anime Fan]

Grosjean needs to get out of F1 already. He's not worth the contract.

 

[Siamese Dream]

Red Bull looking quick this weekend

Would love to see a 3 team battle for pole

 

[Preds Partisan]

The hypersoft (pink) are making their debut this weekend and coupled with some resurfacing of the streets, they are absolutely blazing around the course.

Looks to be Redbull's race as everyone predicted.

Crashjean 3 spot grid penalty from Spain. Haas and Sauber running new Ferrari PU's ahead of the expected Canadian GP Ferrari engine update, so there must have been some sort of identified reliability issue or something to make them change out early. Possibly something Ferrari found from testing last week I guess.

 

[SoupyFIN]

F2 Friday race was kinda mad, almost everyone of the championship leaders crashed out or finished out of the points. Albon and de Vries managed to crash at the pit entrance behind the safety car, they were leading the race at that point and both retired eventually.

 

[Siamese Dream]

F2 Friday race was kinda mad, almost everyone of the championship leaders crashed out or finished out of the points. Albon and de Vries managed to crash at the pit entrance behind the safety car, they were leading the race at that point and both retired eventually.

That was bizarre, I don't really know who to blame because what Albon did is the line I take when I play the game to make sure I don't hit the wall racing incident I think